Vehicle Overview

The Nissan Sentra is a compact sedan slotting above the subcompact Versa and under the midsize Altima and is sold in S, FE+S, SV, FE+SV, SR and SL trims. A six-speed manual transmission is only available in the S grade while a CVT is standard on the rest of the range.

Summary

The 2014 Nissan Sentra excels at being a commuter car with its excellent fuel economy particularly in FE+S and FE+SV grades, which were designed for maximizing efficiency. The EPA rates CVT-equipped models at 30/39 mpg city/highway, six-speed manual cars at 27/36 mpg and FE+ variants at 30/40 mpg. Due to the emphasis on fuel economy, acceleration is unimpressive, with the 1.8-liter I-4 producing a lackluster 130 hp and 128 lb-ft of torque, causing the CVT to rev as high as possible to extract as much power from the engine as it can. Likewise, handling is middling with a clear focus on comfort and ride quality over driver engagement.

Inside, the 2014 Sentra has a roomy cabin and a host of available tech features including a navigation system with NissanConnect smartphone integration and an eight-speaker Bose audio system. A roomy interior with room for five and a large trunk makes the Sentra viable as a compact, fuel-efficient family car with an intuitive infotainment system. Cabin isolation is one of the car’s strong points, reducing the amount of road noise and making the interior more refined than some competitors.

The 2014 Nissan Sentra has a four-star safety rating from the NHTSA (out of a possible five stars) and earned a good score in four categories of IIHS testing (good is the highest possible score).

What We Think

The 2014 Sentra excels at being a commuter car, delivering impressive fuel economy and ride quality while offering a host of tech features that make it feel more premium than it actually is. In a 2013 review, we noted that the use of soft-touch materials in touch points makes the interior “luxurious,” complimenting the soft ride that keeps the cabin “isolated from both road noise and feedback.” We said in a 2014 review that its noisy engine falls short, stating that “it’s straight-up geriatric merging from an on-ramp,” indicating that highway maneuvers require more planning in the Sentra than in competitors with more powerful engines.

You’ll Like

Comfortable ride

Impressive fuel economy on FE+S and FE+SV grades

Roomy interior

You Won’t Like

Anemic powertrain

Mediocre handling

Tech features only available in higher end grades

Key Competitors

Mazda3

Volkswagen Jetta

Ford Focus

Kia Forte

Honda Civic

Rating

2

Toyota Corolla Tops July 2014 Compact Sales

By
Conner Golden
- 08/04/2014

The Toyota Corolla retook the number-one sales spot from the Honda Civic this past month, selling 30,883 units to the Civic's 30,038. The Hyundai Elantra again came in third place, with sales of 22,213, but improved its performance from last month.

A lot of people complain that the players in the compact car segment are all the same, but that’s kind of a cop-out. In fact, certain compacts excel at one particular attribute, such as the Mazda 3’s handling prowess, or the Subaru Impreza’s all-weather capability. Then there’s the 2014 Nissan Sentra, which abandons all pretensions and embraces its identity as a boring, garden-variety compact. Is going full-on vanilla enough to sway buyers from other options?

In the past few years, 40 miles per gallon has emerged as the definitive benchmark number for fuel efficiency. Almost every mainstream small car hits this mark, and even some larger midsize sedans are reaching 40 mpg these days. But you don’t have to spend big to save big at the pump. We set out to find the cheapest cars for sale that achieve 40 mpg in EPA testing (which measures highway, city, and combined driving), and were surprised to find exactly ten 40-mpg cars that cost under $20,000. It’s worth noting that many of the cars below require a special powertrain combination or fuel economy package to hit 40 mpg, but each listed price includes destination charges and represents the exact configuration needed to achieve 40 mpg.

The 2014 Nissan Sentra received a handful of mechanical changes for the new model year, but receives only mild price increases compared to last year's version of the compact sedan. Pricing for the 2014 Nissan Sentra ranges from $16,800 (including an $810 destination charge) and extends to $20,400 for the fully loaded SL trim level.

Similar Vehicles By MPG Range

Automobile offers a rich and varied examination of the automotive universe in all its forms - delivered by our stable of first-class editors and freelance contributors and illustrated with vibrant photography.